


hallelujah, i need your love

by oddeyejinsol



Series: devil in her heart [5]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Buttplugs, Disgustingly fluffy, F/F, also minor character death, and exhibitionism but that isnt new, its a wild ride, jungeun bottoms, surprisingly equal amounts of porn and plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 17:11:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20231434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddeyejinsol/pseuds/oddeyejinsol
Summary: jungeun tries to adjust to life in the human world, unknowing of the threat that lurks beneath the surface.





	hallelujah, i need your love

**Author's Note:**

> so!! we're finally at the end of the road.. i really never thought this little fic would become a 5 part series and also inspire a wave of demon loona art on twitter but im very thankful that it has! its sad to close the door on this series but i have lots more stuff in the works so pls keep reading and supporting tysm!!
> 
> title is from religion by lana del rey

Jinsol thinks demons are given a bad rep, really. Sure, they’re conniving, wicked, all that shit, but the reality is that they were all once humans. They retain some of those human emotions: fear, anger, lust, occasionally even love. Jinsol herself, however, has always been the stereotypical two-faced devil. While most demons settle into a coven sooner or later, she’s always flirted around aimlessly, offering her services from master to master. (Of course, this hasn’t always historically ended well.)

A plus side of her constantly shifting loyalties is that she always knows when she’s being summoned. After going through it so many times, she can quickly recognize the stomach-dropping feeling and cast a protective charm. With this specific patron, though, there’s never any warning before she’s plunged into complete darkness and it never stops being so jarring. She begins to panic at the sensation of having all her sensations suddenly dulled, but forces herself to relax. 

Sure enough, her vision clears enough just for her to spot the girl, hanging from a spot in the darkness somewhere above Jinsol’s head. She can’t help the shiver that runs through her — not only is the sight of her ominous, upside down with her back to Jinsol and her face hidden, but her aura is undoubtedly the most menacing Jinsol has ever encountered. And she’s encountered quite a few.

“You know, Jungeun would really have killed you if I hadn’t given you that little push,” she giggles. What’s almost worse than her evil energy is the contrast of her voice, high and airy like a child’s.

Jinsol resists the urge to kneel in fear. “I know. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me — you’ve done exactly as I asked. So what’s the verdict?”

“The human is the key,” Jinsol says. “Without a doubt. If you want to break her, that human is the key.”

She laughs for much longer than Jinsol is comfortable with. It’s a horrible sound, sugary and sweet, but with so much underlying horror. “Splendid,” she says with delight. “You’ve done well, Jinsol. Now, I’ll have no use for your services from now on, but may I ask you just one more question?”

“Of course,” Jinsol says, eager to be free.

When she speaks again, it’s calm, every trace of laughter gone. “Did you really think you could double-cross Vivi and it wouldn’t come back to bite you?”

The mere mention of that name gives Jinsol a terrible, frozen feeling, like icy water running down her spine. Before she can even speak, she’s engulfed in flames. These are nothing like regular fire, though; that, she can handle, can even control. This fire burns wild and purple, and all she can do is scream as it licks at every part of her body, charring flesh and bone like it’s paper. Mercifully, it’s over soon. In less than half a minute, Jinsol has been snuffed out of existence.

Amongst the pile of ashes that remains, a cherry stem gleams. The Hanged Woman laughs.

* * *

Jiwoo is so bored she thinks she could die. 

Her parents are coming to visit from the small town they live in two hours away, and although Jiwoo loves them, these trips always remind her why she moved out. They’re just so old-fashioned in every way that Jiwoo isn’t, especially now that she’s dating a demon. Of course, they don’t know that — they still assume Jiwoo is their perfect little girl.

As expected, they insisted on meeting Jiwoo’s church friends, and that’s where Jiwoo is now, jiggling her legs restlessly in the plush seat of an extremely fancy restaurant. It’s painfully awkward since Jiwoo has barely been to church in months and her friends all kind of wondering why they’re there, but of course Jiwoo’s parents don’t pick up on it, eager to just babble on about God. What a nightmare.

Sooyoung is sitting across the table, and when Jiwoo catches her eye she expects her to blush and look away. Surprisingly, the girl winks.

“Haven’t seen much of you lately,” Sooyoung says conversationally.

“Hah, yeah,” Jiwoo says, pushing around some rice on her plate. “I’ve been kinda busy with other stuff.”

Sooyoung lowers her voice. “Would _ other stuff _be that girl I always see you hanging out with?” Jiwoo freezes up and instantly looks at her parents, but they’re on the other end of the table animatedly discussing Bible camp with Dahyun.

“Chill,” says Sooyoung. “We’re practically all gay here.”

Jiwoo blinks, because okay, that’s information she would have _ killed _to know as a closeted baby virgin. “Well … we have been spending a lot of time together,” she allows, quietly, and Sooyoung grins.

“Knew it,” she says triumphantly, turning her attention back to her food. 

Jiwoo is still trying to process this interesting bit of information when she suddenly feels the ghost of a touch under her skirt. She jolts a little bit in her seat, wondering whether it’s just her body reacting to the thought of all her (hot) church friends being gay. But then the touch is back, tugging insistently at the waistband of her panties, and she realizes the culprit is actually her demon girlfriend.

Jiwoo drops her fork to the floor with a loud clatter. “Oops!” she says, although nobody seems to notice or care, and ducks under the long white tablecloth to scold Jungeun. She’s nowhere in sight, though, and Jiwoo’s irritation deepens knowing that Jungeun is teasing her without even physically being there.

_ Quit it! _ she thinks in her head, as hard as she can. She knows Jungeun is close by even if she’s not really there, and in this proximity she can probably read Jiwoo’s thoughts. Sure enough, moments later Jiwoo hears her lilting voice, in the back of her head like she’s speaking from across the room: _ relax, baby. I’m just having a little fun. _

_ Fun for you, maybe, but not me _, Jiwoo retaliates, nodding and trying to look absorbed in the table’s conversation.

_ You sure? _Jungeun counters, and then Jiwoo feels the unmistakable roughness of Jungeun’s tongue, right against her clit. It’s not as intense as it would be if she was really there, but it’s still too much for Jiwoo, who clamps her thighs shut with a barely contained squeak. Jungeun doesn’t stop, though, continuing to lick and suck at Jiwoo’s sensitive flesh until her legs fall back apart of their own will, her cheeks flushing. 

Jiwoo’s doing everything she can to keep it together, trying to keep her face neutral and composed as she picks at her food, but Jungeun is driving her insane. She’s so perfectly attuned to Jiwoo’s body, even when she’s only projecting herself like this; she knows exactly how to curl her tongue and graze her teeth, having Jiwoo dripping wet in a matter of minutes, and _ god _ she’s probably going to ruin the fancy velvet seat of the chair. The thought only has her throbbing harder, though, squirming imperceptibly to try and get more of Jungeun’s mouth on her. 

_ You think your friends know you’re getting eaten out under the table? _Jungeun muses, and a hot flash of panic jumps up Jiwoo’s spine. She hurriedly looks around, ensuring that her friends are all absorbed in their food or conversation, nobody noticing the way in which her face is flushed and her chest is heaving. Not that them noticing would be a turn off; unfortunately for her, Jungeun is very aware of her little exhibitionism kink and isn’t afraid to take advantage of it. 

_ You’re doing so well _ , Jungeun purrs, and although she isn’t really there Jiwoo swears she can feel the vibrations on her tongue. _ Think you can come for me without anyone noticing, hm? Gonna be able to hold back all those pretty noises you make? _

_ No, _Jiwoo whines internally, but her body betrays her, legs spreading wider when she feels Jungeun’s tongue moving downwards. She’s still slightly sore from Jungeun fucking her rough and fast before class yesterday, and she nearly yells aloud when she feels the tip of Jungeun’s tongue pressing inside her. 

“You okay, Jiwoo? You look kind of red,” Sooyoung’s concerned voice cuts through the haze of pheromones. Jiwoo jumps to attention, suddenly highly aware of how her face feels like it’s burning. 

“I’m fine,” she squeaks, swallowing hard. “Um, my stomach is just a bit upset …”

“Oh, I hope it’s not the shrimp, cause I just had some,” Sooyoung says, and Jiwoo nods even though she’s barely registering her words, the feeling of Jungeun between her legs completely overwhelming all her other senses. 

Then Jungeun sucks _ hard _ at her clit, her sharp teeth nipping at the swollen nub and Jiwoo can’t help but hiss aloud, drawing some curious stares. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” she chokes out, all but running away from the table. She presses her legs together as she walks, burning with shame at the feeling of her own wetness smearing down her thighs, and only when she’s safely behind the locked door of the bathroom cubicle does she let out the breath she’s been holding. 

_ You’re no fun. _Jiwoo can practically hear the pout in Jungeun’s voice as she sits on the closed toilet lid, willing her breathing to even. 

“Once again, you’re the only one having fun,” Jiwoo grumbles, hoping there’s nobody in the neighboring stalls to hear her talking to herself. 

_ Really? So you don’t want me to continue? _Jiwoo feels that goddamn tongue again, tracing innocent circles on the insides of her thighs. 

She sighs, spreads her legs, lets her head hit the wall behind her. “Fine. Be quick.”

_ I love when you get bossy, _Jungeun laughs, mocking, but before Jiwoo can retaliate Jungeun’s back to working Jiwoo open with her tongue, and Jiwoo has to bite down on her hand to keep her sounds at bay. 

Jungeun sticks to her word, going at it with renewed determination, doing all the little tricks that she knows will have Jiwoo coming undone. It’s barely five minutes before Jiwoo’s clenching up and coming, her palm barely enough to muffle the high, strung-out moan she lets out. 

Her ears ringing deliciously, she opens her eyes and is surprised to see Jungeun there, kneeling between her legs. She blinks once, twice, but it’s not just her orgasm-addled brain. 

“You’re really here,” she says, sounding slightly surprised. 

Jungeun looks just as confused as she is. “Yeah, I … I’m not quite sure how that happened,” she admits. 

“Well, good thing it happened while we were in here and not out there,” Jiwoo huffs. “Speaking of which, they probably think I’m putting this bathroom on blast right now, for fuck’s sake.”

“Would you rather them know you were in here getting head?” Jungeun asks innocently, and Jiwoo shushes her frantically, hoping against hope that the bathroom is empty. 

“You’re horrible,” she exclaims, but it just makes Jungeun’s grin grow wider. “Seriously, I’m gonna make you sleep in the spare room tonight.”

“No, you won’t,” Jungeun laughs, and unfortunately, she’s right. Jiwoo has been ecstatic at the amount of time Jungeun’s been spending with her since she returned from her mission, and she insists that they sleep together every night. Not that Jungeun minds, of course; while she doesn’t need sleep herself, she’s more than content to watch Jiwoo’s peaceful face for as long as she can. 

“Okay, I’m going back,” Jiwoo announces when her legs feel less like jelly, getting up. “I’ll see you at home, okay?”

“Don’t think too much about me,” Jungeun singsongs, smiling when Jiwoo playfully smacks her head on the way out. She holds her smile until she hears the bathroom door shut, then it drops, changing into a deep frown. 

While Jiwoo wobbles back to the table and tries to pretend like she didn’t just have demon sex, Jungeun figures a trip to the Veil is in order. She hasn’t been back since her mission was over; she’s been too worried to let Jiwoo out of her sight for even a moment, after what happened last time. It’s been a while, a long while, and she tells herself that’s why she feels dizzy when she goes back, almost collapsing in the middle of the Hierophant’s palace. 

“Whoa, there!” a bright voice exclaims, and she feels a hand on her elbow, steadying her. She snatches her arm away warily, turning to look, and almost doesn’t recognize the girl she saved from the forest. She looks much healthier, now, her cheeks round instead of sallow and her hair returned to its shiny glory. 

“Jungeun,” comes a rich, soothing voice, and the Hierophant appears, her robes trailing behind her like smoke. “Yeojin, we’re going for a walk in the garden, alright?”

Yeojin rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, quit worrying!”

The Hierophant smiles, even though Jungeun can see in her eyes that she’s still scared to leave Yeojin alone. _ I can relate, _she thinks dryly, as the Hierophant leads them out into the palace gardens. 

Jungeun is always taken aback by the beauty of it; it’s more a jungle than a garden, really, overrun with sprawling vines and tree trunks thicker than Jungeun’s torso. The bushes and trees are littered with fruits, mouth-wateringly tempting in all shapes and colors, but Jungeun knows better than to pluck one. 

“What brings you back?” the Hierophant asks, business as usual. 

Jungeun turns to face her, the worry evident in her eyes. “Something’s happening,” she begins, but the Hierophant is already nodding. 

“I thought it might,” she sighs. “Your powers. They’re fading, aren’t they?”

Jungeun’s blood runs cold. Of course, that’s the conclusion she’d jumped to too, but she was hoping it wasn’t the right one. “I don’t know,” she says, her mouth dry. “I was casting an invisibility charm and it just stopped working all of a sudden … and just now, when I arrived here, I felt weak.”

The Hierophant’s expression is grim. “It happens, sometimes, when demons spend too much time away from home,” she says, gently. “The Veil is the source of our magic, and when your connection to it weakens, so do your powers.”

“That can’t be,” Jungeun says, panic clawing up her throat. “What kind of a demon will I be without my powers?!”

The Hierophant almost looks sympathetic. “Well … that’s the thing, Jungeun. If you remain in the Upper World for much longer, your powers will be the first to go, and your immortality will follow soon. You’ll start to need sleep, food, water. For all intents and purposes, you’ll be a human again.”

Jungeun has to sit down, she’s shaking so hard. She supposes the Hierophant must know what she’s talking about, and of course she’s heard the rumors about that sort of thing happening, but it just can’t be. It simply can’t.

“And I suppose the only way to stop this is to leave her?” she asks bitterly. “To come back here?”

“The longer you spend down here, the stronger you will become, yes,” the Hierophant counters. 

There’s a pregnant pause, and then Jungeun says: “what if I stay there? Will you stop me?”

“I can’t stop you, Jungeun, only discourage you. The worst I can do is expel you from my coven, which won’t make a difference if you plan on leaving for good anyway,” she counters. “Besides, there’s no need to be so rash — you don’t have to stay in either place forever. Just come back here until you get your strength back up.”

“But how long will that take?” Jungeun counters, and the Hierophant just shrugs, her short hair bobbing gracefully. Jungeun thinks of how heartbroken Jiwoo was after just a few months, how heartbroken _ she _was thinking Jiwoo was moving on from her, and she knows she can’t do it again. Besides, a few months to her was much longer compared to Jiwoo’s short life.

Then, the fact that Jiwoo will inevitably at die at some point hits her, suddenly. That’s what humans do: they grow old. Jungeun doesn’t. Or at least, she didn’t used to. What will become of her now?

“You said I’d become a mortal if … if this went on. Then what? Where would I go when I died?”

The Hierophant shrugs, helpless. “I really don’t know, Jungeun. The only demon I know of who’s done it … well, she’s not a demon anymore.”

“Who is she?” Jungeun asks, desperate.

The Hierophant pauses, then sighs and rattles off an address that’s instantly written into Jungeun’s brain. “Go there. Ask for Olivia, and tell her Haseul sent you.”

Jungeun nods, thanks her profusely, and gathers the energy back up to go to The Upper World — Earth — the place that’s sucking the life out of her. The place where her heart resides.

* * *

The address that Haseul gives her leads to a small, cozy looking home with a slightly overgrown garden full of flowers. Jungeun’s knock is answered by a stern looking older woman, although she has just as many laugh lines as frown lines, and her hair is more black than silver.

“Yes?” she says.

“Hi, Olivia? Haseul sent me,” Jungeun says. The name is still uncomfortable on her tongue, and she feels like someone is going to strike her any minute for disrespecting the Hierophant.

The woman pales, looking like she’s seen a ghost, which she sort of has. “What are you?” she hisses.

“Honey, who’s that?” a voice drifts from inside the house.

“Just a young woman looking to do a survey on … recycling. Be right back, Chaewon!” She steps outside and shuts the door behind her, motioning to Jungeun to follow her onto a bench that Jungeun nearly doesn’t see because of how tall the grass is.

As they sit, the woman says, “I don’t go by that name anymore. Call me Hyejoo. Who are you and what do you want?”

“I’m Jungeun. I’m a demon, obviously but I … I think I’m turning back into a human?” Jungeun says, her voice trailing to an unsure whisper at the end. She still doesn’t even know if that’s possible. What if this woman tells her that she needs to eat raw babies to survive or something? There must be some sort of catch?

Understanding washes over Hyejoo’s face. “Alright. What did you want to ask?”

Jungeun makes a helpless gesture. “I … don’t know? Did that happen to you?”

Hyejoo nods. “Essentially, yes,” the older woman says. “You’ll start to have basic human needs again, but not many. You’ll still retain all your knowledge about … you know” — she points downwards — “but none of the special abilities. Still, you’ll still be more advanced than the general human. It’ll just be like you’re a strangely advanced person. I’d recommend not showing that off, though, if you want to fit in with other humans.”

Jungeun frowns. “Wait, why do you assume I want to fit in with other humans? What if I want to go back?” Even as she says it, though, she knows it’s not what she wants.

In response, Hyejoo’s eyes dart back to the house. Jungeun follows her line of sight; there’s a white-haired woman standing in the kitchen window, watering the plants in the windowsill. Jungeun’s hearing is still good enough to tell that she’s humming aimlessly to a tune only she can hear.

Still looking at her, Hyejoo says, “I assume you have a reason.”

Jungeun smiles. “Is she yours?”

“Yes,” Hyejoo says, her eyes softer when they come back to meet Jungeun’s. “She has no idea. I still eat three meals a day with her, and she just thinks it’s cute that I can pick her up with no effort.”

“Wait.” Jungeun gapes. “She doesn’t know you used to be a demon? How the hell did you meet, then?”

Hyejoo’s mouth twitches into what can almost resemble a smile. “An internet cafe. I was around for some of the 80s and got _ really _into gaming. They just don’t have that sort of thing down there, do they?”

Jungeun laughs. “No, they don’t,” she allows. “Speaking of down there, though. What do you think happens after you die? I mean … where do we go?” 

Hyejoo nods her head. “I think … purgatory, maybe? Just nothing? That wouldn’t be too bad. I'm sorry I don't have a proper answer for you, Jungeun. Whatever happens after this lifetime, though, I’ll be fine knowing I spent it with the love of my life.”

Even though Jungeun still hasn’t even found the courage to tell Jiwoo she loves her, the image of them growing old together makes her a little choked up. “That’s nice.”

“Mm. Although I’ll probably outlive her slightly,” Hyejoo adds, rather morbidly. “Oh well. That’s alright, though, we’ve got a little dog — Bbomi — I wouldn’t leave him alone.”

“Wait … a real dog?”

Jungeun spends the next five minutes cooing at pictures of Hyejoo’s dog on her brick of a phone. (Which reminds Jungeun, she needs to get a phone now.) Then they bid each other farewell, but Jungeun stays a little bit longer on the bench, enjoying the breeze. A particularly hard gust makes her shiver, and she realizes with dread she’s going to get cold in the winter, probably. And get sick. God, was she going to have a period again?

All those thoughts disappear when she looks back at the window and sees Hyejoo sneaking up behind Chaewon and bear-hugging her from behind. Chaewon jumps, spilling some water down her front, and starts to scold Hyejoo, although Jungeun doesn’t need to hear her to know she’s laughing.

She looks away when the two share a soft kiss, not wanting to be invasive. Besides, she should get going. She told Jiwoo she would meet her at home. 

* * *

Just two weeks later, Jungeun can already feel her powers fading. It really is like the Hierophant says, like the connection between her and the Veil is growing weaker; using magic nowadays is like flexing an old, rarely-used muscle. 

She know she can’t put it off any longer, so she takes a deep breath and rolls over to face Jiwoo. They’re both lounging in bed, Jiwoo reading her textbook diligently. 

“Hey, Jiwoo?” Jungeun says, and Jiwoo hums noncommittally, signaling her to go on. “How would you feel if I … lived here?”

Jiwoo looks at her sideways. “Don’t you already, kind of?”

“No, more like … if I came here to the human world, for good.”

Jiwoo sits up, suddenly alert. “Really?” She’s been thinking about it, of course; Jungeun’s been by her side since the moment she came back, and she’s gotten very used to the strange domestic little life they’ve built. Still, though, she’s terrified that every night with Jungeun will be her last. That she’ll wake up one day and find her gone again, and this time she won’t come back. 

Even now, she tries not to get her hopes up, but the look on her face is enough to convince Jungeun if she wasn’t sold on the idea already. 

“Yes, really,” Jungeun says, stroking her cheek. “I can do that, you know. Stay here with you for as long as you’ll have me. Except … I’ll lose all my powers.”

Jiwoo gasps gently. “Oh, Jungeun,” she whispers. “But what will you do without them?”

It’s like a blow to Jungeun’s chest, even though she knows Jiwoo didn’t mean it in the way she’s thinking: _ what will I be if not for my powers? _

“Would you still love me? If I was just a human?” she asks, willing her voice not to crack. 

Jiwoo cups her face earnestly. “Yes, of course, silly. I love you no matter what, I would have thought that was clear. Although, I’m kind of mad you just tricked me into saying it first.

“You know I love you,” Jungeun says, and the responding grin tells her that she definitely does. Her heart swelling, she leans in to kiss Jiwoo, knocking her glasses off her nose. 

Jiwoo makes an exasperated sound, but kisses her back before pulling away to grab her fallen glasses. “Okay, be useful and quiz me on this chapter, will you?”

Jungeun’s lived many lives, but she doesn’t think she’s ever been as happy as she is right now, lying in bed watching Jiwoo fumble and hum her way through the questions.

Now that she knows she’s going to be here forever, though, she decides it’s time to get a job. The thought is repulsive, but she supposes she can’t keep lounging around Jiwoo’s apartment forever. Technically she _ can _— you don’t live as long as she does without amassing a nice amount of human currency — but she feels too restless, and Jiwoo’s already complaining about how she obsessively cleans three times a day. 

While her powers are somewhat still in effect, she manages to lie her way into an assistant job for a high-profile businessman. It’s not like she actually has to do anything that requires skill; it’s mostly copying and stapling papers and playing games on the phone Jiwoo forces her to buy. The salary is mostly to keep her mouth shut about all the information she sees, even though she has more knowledge about silly human politics than they can possibly imagine. At first she was worried the pay wasn’t enough, but after seeing Jiwoo’s eyes fall out of her head at the yearly amount she gets, she decides she's fine with it.

Jiwoo gets all excited on her first day of work, kissing her at the door and straightening her blouse like some 50s housewife. Jungeun suspects her giggliness is about more than that, though: the previous week she’d gotten a package online that she refused to open in front of Jungeun, and Jungeun was kind of going crazy imagining what could be in it.

When she comes home, tired due to the sheer effort of doing nothing for 8 hours, her mouth waters at the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. It’s weird — she doesn’t really _ need _food, but she’s started to get hungry every now and then. For human food, not like, souls or flesh. She follows the sound of whistling to the kitchen and her heart melts at the sight of Jiwoo in a yellow cotton dress and cooking apron, stirring a stove on the pot.

“Hey, working girl,” she says coyly to Jungeun as she puts her bag down on the table and wraps her arms around Jiwoo from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder (which she’s able to do because Jiwoo is a little shorter than her, she _ insists _).

“Smells great,” she says appreciatively.

“Thank you!” Jiwoo says, rubbing her cheek against Jungeun’s affectionately. “It’s just soup, cause I was lazy, but I wanted to look cute cooking.”

“You did,” Jungeun affirms, kissing her neck. “I’m going to go change and I’ll be back out, okay?”

Jiwoo hums in confirmation, tasting the stew, and Jungeun presses another kiss to her cheek. She pats Jiwoo’s ass playfully under the dress, and is surprised when she feels unfamiliar lacy material under her fingers.

“Oh, what’s this?” She moves to lift the dress, but Jiwoo smacks her hand away.

“Not till after dinner,” she scolds, and Jungeun smirks. This must be a surprise for her. How sweet. Although, honestly, the thought of Jiwoo possibly in lingerie makes her want to be anything but sweet.

Still, she plays nice and has dinner at the table with Jiwoo, complimenting the soup (which is actually quite good) and talking about their respective days. It’s so … human. The thought still makes Jungeun want to panic, a bit, but she knows that at the end of the day she doesn’t want to run from this. From her. What Hyejoo said rang true: she thinks she’d rather live just one life with Jiwoo than a million more without her.

When dinner’s done, she pushes her romantic thoughts to the side and tugs Jiwoo away from where she’s pretending to be interested in washing the dishes. She goes fairly willingly when Jungeun picks her up bridal style, kissing between giggles as she carries Jiwoo into their room and tosses her onto the bed.

“Can I see now?” she asks, skimming her hands up Jiwoo’s thighs.

Jiwoo bites her lips, nods. “Sit up and start unbuttoning your shirt.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jungeun says, slightly surprised at her boldness, and gets her shirt off as fast as humanly possible. Jiwoo stands by the edge of the bed, twirling the bottom of her dress and putting on a little show before slowly pulling it off. Jungeun’s delighted to see that she’s gone braless, her peachy nipples perking up under Jungeun’s gaze, but more importantly are the pink see-through lace panties, the intricate petal design hugging her hips perfectly.

“You look amazing, angel,” she breathes, and even now, the pet name makes Jiwoo blush. She crawls up onto the bed in sudden shyness, sitting comfortably in Jungeun’s lap.

“Thank you,” she preens. “But that’s not even the full surprise …”

Jungeun raises a brow. “Really? What else do you have for me?”

But Jiwoo just shakes her head. “You’ll see soon,” she says with a little smile, and then she’s leaning down to kiss Jungeun, grinding her hips down against her thigh. Jungeun kisses her back, feeling hot all over when Jiwoo swipes her tongue across her lower lip.

Jungeun knows Jiwoo must already be turned on just from wearing these for Jungeun, putting on a little display for her. She gives a needy whine when Jungeun cups her ass, the firm muscle flexing under Jungeun’s fingers as she spreads her legs wider at the touch. 

“You’re so worked up already, baby,” Jungeun observes, licking a stripe up the shell of her ear. Jiwoo shivers when she blows on it after, cool air making the sensitive skin tingle. 

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for you all day,” Jiwoo complains, and then gasps a little when Jungeun presses her thigh up firmly between her legs. “Please,_ ah _, want you to fuck me.”

Jungeun loves being a tease, but even she can’t say no to such a request. “Let’s get these panties off first, okay? They look too expensive for me to ruin,” she says, snapping the waistband against Jiwoo’s skin.

The other girl shivers and rolls off of her, taking the panties off delicately. “Yeah, they were, actually. Thank fuck I paid off my last credit card bill, that’s all I’m saying.” Once she’s fully naked (and Jungeun has managed to quickly discard the rest of her clothing too) she gets on her hands and knees, and Jungeun is eager to palm at the ass presented to her. She really likes this position; it’s perfect for kissing down Jiwoo’s spine and cupping her ass as she fucks her, adding in a little smack every now and then to catch Jiwoo off guard.

This time, though, it’s her who’s caught off guard: when she spreads Jiwoo’s ass gently, there’s a little heart-shaped jewel shining out at her from where it’s nestled between her cheeks. Her once virginal church-going girlfriend is wearing a butt plug. For her. And it’s heart shaped. Her brain might be short-circuiting a little.

“_ Oh _,” is all she can say, and Jiwoo giggles nervously.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Jungeun breathes, still mesmerized by how pretty it looks. She imagines it’ll be even prettier if she were to spank Jiwoo hard enough that her soft flesh is the same shade of pink as the plug. 

Jiwoo whines and pushes back when Jungeun touches it, moving the base a little, and fuck that’s so hot. “So this is why you couldn’t wait, huh?” Jungeun murmurs. “You were all worked up during dinner, weren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Jiwoo half-whines, dropping to her elbows as Jungeun continues toying with the plug. “God, I couldn’t wait for you to come home… felt like I was jumping out of my skin, Jungeun, _ ah— _”

She stops with a surprised little cry when Jungeun pulls it almost all the way out and then back in, unflinchingly. 

“Quit teasing and do something, _ please _,” Jiwoo huffs, and Jungeun’s proud she remembered her manners. Even though she’s being bratty. Although Jungeun supposes she has the right to be; waiting around for hours, plugged up for her … the thought has her mouth going dry, and even she can’t wait any longer. 

She pushes Jiwoo’s lower back down into the mattress and flips her over, reassuming her position between her legs. She spreads them, flushing at the little heart winking out at her again, and starts kissing down the inside of Jiwoo’s thighs, leaving sucking bruises every now and then that have Jiwoo’s heels digging into her back. 

No matter how many times she’s seen it, the image of Jiwoo lying spread for her, eager and waiting — she’ll never get used to it, and she thinks she never wants to. 

“Don’t just _ stare _,” Jiwoo huffs, trying to angle her hips away. Jungeun holds her in place without much force, chuckling slightly at the fact that Jiwoo is even able to feel shame at this point. 

“As you wish,” she responds, before moving her wet kisses closer to Jiwoo’s centre, parting her folds gently. She’s soaked already, and sensitive if her reactions are anything to go by; when Jungeun just barely trails her tongue around her clit, her hand flies to Jungeun’s hair in a vice grip.

“How long have you had this in for?” Jungeun asks against the heated flesh. 

“Huh?” Jiwoo asks, breathy. Jungeun repeats the question, pinching her lightly, and she takes a sharp breath. “_ Ah _, maybe an hour, two? Before I started making dinner…”

“How does it feel?” Jungeun presses the plug in further, rubbing it back and forth gently, and Jiwoo exhales harshly through her nose.

“Nice, uh. Full … fuck, _ Jungeun _, seriously.”

Her whining is beginning to turn irritated, and Jungeun has to hide her smile in the seam of Jiwoo’s thigh. She’s just so cute when she gets riled up. 

She decides to stop the interrogation, though, going back to her task at hand. Then it’s quiet except for the soft sounds Jiwoo makes, thick like honey in Jungeun’s ears. She loves how sensitive Jiwoo is for her, how she can _ hear _the girl’s pleasure as it escalates. It’s a rush like no other, especially when Jiwoo scratches her nails roughly against the base of Jungeun’s scalp, pain tingling in a way that’s unfamiliar but enjoyable.

Jungeun brings a finger up to dip into Jiwoo’s wetness while she suckles at her clit, just barely pressing the tip past the sensitive ring of muscle. Jiwoo whimpers, pushing down with her hips to try and get it in properly, her hole fluttering prettily in a way that Jungeun wants to feel on her tongue. 

“What, this isn’t enough?” she asks innocently, withdrawing her hand and instead moving it back to the plug. She can’t help it; she’s fascinated by the cool glass against Jiwoo’s warm skin, the way she pants softly when Jungeun thrusts it lazily. “You want my fingers too, baby?”

“_ Yes _,” Jiwoo groans, not knowing whether to grind up into Jungeun’s tongue or down on the plug. “Please, Jungeun, want you to fuck me.”

“I am, though,” Jungeun says, feigning confusion and speeding up her thrusts.

Jiwoo whines in frustration, head banging back against the headboard. “I want your fingers too, _ please _, Jungie. ‘m so wet, I can feel it, been wanting this all day—” 

Her sentence ends with a relieved sigh when Jungeun takes pity and finally presses two fingers inside her, barely a stretch thanks to how soaked she is. Jiwoo throws an arm over her face and pants harshly, overwhelmed by how full she feels, the plug pressing up against her in minuscule movements whenever Jungeun pumps her fingers. 

Jungeun pulls her mouth off, wanting to sit back a little and see how wrecked Jiwoo is, flushed bright pink all over and dripping for her. She decides to put her mouth to work in other ways, purring, “better now, baby? You happy now that I’m fucking you like you wanted?”

“Uh-huh,” Jiwoo gasps out, her thighs trembling under Jungeun’s soft kisses. “A-another, please?”

Jungeun laughs but complies, fucking into Jiwoo deeper this time with an added finger. “You like it so much, don’t you? Feeling all full and stretched out like this?”

“God, _ yes _, so good,” Jiwoo whines. “Jungeun, I’m close, kiss me, please.”

Jungeun can’t say no even if she wants to — her girlfriend looks so inviting, hair splayed out on the pillow like a halo and lips already cherry red from where she’s been biting them. She crawls up the length of her body, placing gentle kisses and licking bites as she goes, and Jiwoo practically melts into her when she finally brings their lips together, mouth falling open eagerly at the swipe of Jungeun’s tongue. 

Jungeun works her fingers faster, rubbing her thumb against Jiwoo’s clit now. She wants to feel her fall apart beneath her, wants to hold her down through it and make her see stars. Being as perfect as she is, Jiwoo gives her exactly what she wants, letting Jungeun swallow her moans and cries as she shakes and comes beneath her with no warning except the tightening of her legs around Jungeun’s waist. 

Jungeun slows her fingers, moving to kiss at the line of Jiwoo’s neck, and only pulls them out when she feels Jiwoo’s erratic breathing settle into a steady rhythm. In one smooth motion she pulls out the plug too, making Jiwoo squeak and tighten her legs. 

“Mm, sore,” she complains as Jungeun tosses the plug aside onto the heap of their discarded clothes. She’ll deal with all that later. Right now, she just wants to pull Jiwoo close to her and kiss her soft and slow, and she does, resting her hand on her chest so she can feel her heartbeat. 

“So you liked your surprise?” Jiwoo asks shyly when Jungeun pulls back to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“I _ loved _it,” Jungeun says sincerely, smiling at the way Jiwoo’s face lights up. “Thank you, angel. Although I would be lucky just to come home to you, no frills.”

Jiwoo beams, kissing Jungeun again, with more heat this time. “Can I…?” Her hand moves from Jungeun’s waist to between her legs, cupping her where she’s almost forgotten the dull ache there, solely focused on the beautiful girl below her. 

“I’m okay, baby. Honestly, I’m kind of tired,” Jungeun admits. It’s true; part of the human experience, as she’s come to remember, is being exhausted after a long day, the feeling of bleary eyes and heavy bones. It’s especially hard to resist it when she’s tangled up in Jiwoo’s warm embrace on their soft bed, the dim lighting making her eyelids droop. 

It’s frightening, she’ll admit. With every reminder of her impending mortality, there’s a panicked little voice in the back of her head telling her to run. Thankfully, though, there’s a voice that’s much more overpowering — Jiwoo’s gentle whisper of “go to sleep, then, honey”, the gentle stroke of her hand on Jungeun’s waist enough to tip her over the edge into a deep, dreamless slumber. 

* * *

They fall into a routine, blissfully domestic — Jungeun goes to work, Jiwoo goes to school, and they spend most of their time together otherwise. Now that Jungeun is planning to stay permanently on earth, Jiwoo has a never-ending list of things she wants to do with her: seeing the cherry blossoms in the spring, having snowball fights in the winter, eating ice cream in the summer. 

Jungeun just watches her babble excitedly, her heart swelling painfully every time she looks at Jiwoo. She’d never once thought in her long life that she’d be capable of loving anyone, let alone a human, but it’s undeniable to her now; Jiwoo is her everything. She can’t imagine life without her, and she can’t think of anything that sounds better than waking up to her every day.

In hindsight, things were going almost _ too _perfectly. It seems that being human again comes with a natural naivety: she shouldn’t have expected it to last too long.

It’s an unremarkable day like any other when she sets off for work, kissing Jiwoo goodbye at the door and promising to stop at the grocery store on her way back. When she walks into their building after work, though, she freezes and drops the heavy bag. The sounds of glass breaking and eggs shattering aren’t enough to distract her from the feeling of dread that’s completely washed over her, stabbing at her heart in icy tendrils.

It’s the presence of something very dark _ very _ close by. _ Jiwoo_, she thinks, panic seizing her and propelling her forwards, taking the stairs three at a time in her hurry. 

When she enters their apartment, Jiwoo is nowhere to be seen, but what she does see makes her stop in her tracks. In the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, along with a few unripe bananas and a pineapple, is a singular, gleaming cherry. 

She’s heard the rumors, of course, of the abomination they call The Hanged Woman; half-demon, half-angel, and more powerful than the two combined. She’d assumed they were all just that, though: rumors. She didn’t think it was possible for such a thing to exist. Cherries were her calling card, supposedly, ones with poison so potent the tiniest nibble could kill the strongest demon. Still, Jungeun knew that many demons knew about the rumors and used cherries themselves to strike fear, which is why she hadn’t thought much of it when she saw the cherries littered around Yeojin in the Forest. Now, though, she’s beginning to suspect that the rumors are true, although she’s hoping against all hope that they’re not.

“Jiwoo?!” she calls out, fearing the worst, and in response she hears a soft giggle from the direction of her bedroom. It isn’t her girlfriend’s gentle laugh, though, but something much harsher, more sinister. Her protective instinct outweighs her fear, her legs moving of their own accord towards their bedroom, but what she sees makes her freeze in the open doorway. 

Jiwoo’s on the floor, bound tightly to the bedpost with what looks like some sort of crude rope made of cherry stems. She’s alive, thank every deity in existence — she’s unconscious, head lolled forward and a nasty bump already forming on her forehead, but Jungeun can see the rise and fall of her chest. Now that the haze of panic has dimmed, she can see that there’s someone else in the room, hanging from the ceiling like a bat. Her back is towards Jungeun, her long purple hair almost brushing the floor where it’s hanging out.

“You,” she utters, her body shaking with a combination of rage and terror.

The Hanged Woman drops to her feet, sleek like a cat, and turns to face Jungeun. Her face is still round in the cheeks, young and innocent-looking, but one of her eyes glints a menacing purple, reminding Jungeun of the unholy half-breed she is.

“Jungeun,” she greets, her voice high and lilting. “Nice of you to join us. Jiwoo and I were waiting an awfully long time.”

Jungeun clenches her fists so hard she feels blood seep out from where her fingernails cut into her palms. She knows The Hanged Woman can smell it, her nostrils flaring subtly.

“Leave her alone,” she snarls, although it comes out more pleading than she’d like. “It’s me you want, isn’t it? Is this because I rescued Yeojin from you in the Forest?”

The Hanged Woman tilts her head to the side, looking puzzled for a moment before her expression clears. “Oh, that,” she says airily. “No, that was just a distraction, silly. You were the target all along. And so is your little pet, since I know you hold her dear.”

Jungeun feels sick to her stomach. “That’s not true,” she tries. “She’s nothing to me, just a pet, like you said.” Just saying those words makes her feel awful, but if she can manage to convince her that she doesn’t care about Jiwoo, she might spare her. Unfortunately, The Hanged Woman just throws her head back and laughs, so long and loud it makes Jungeun’s ears ache. 

“Nice try, Jungeun, but you do care for her. You _ love _her,” she says, uttering the word with disgust. “In fact, that’s the only reason I didn’t kill her as soon as I got here, only roughed her around a little bit. I wanted you to be here to watch the life drain from her eyes.”

Jungeun’s so angry she momentarily forgets that her powers are indisposed, lunging at the Hanged Woman with a roar. The purple-haired girl merely flicks her wrist, sending Jungeun flying into the wall, a crack in the plaster forming where her back makes contact.

Jungeun groans, hauling herself to her feet despite her body screaming in protest. “What do you even want from me?” she cries, pained. “We’ve never even met, I barely know who you are!”

“That’s true,” The Hanged Woman counters. “You know my creator, though, all too well. Does the name Vivi ring a bell?”

Jungeun’s eyes go wide as the pieces fall into place. Vivi was a powerful demon who’d gone bad (or at least, worse). It made sense that she would be the one to create The Hanged Woman; Jungeun couldn’t think of anyone else unhinged enough to think of making such an ungodly creature. She’d trapped Jinsol into working for her ages ago, and Jungeun had helped free her, killing Vivi in the process — or so she’d thought. 

“But … we killed her,” she whispered, unable to believe it.

“Of course you didn’t, you arrogant little insect,” The Hanged Woman snaps, her purple eye glowing. “You did hurt her, though. Very badly. She’s been lying low since then, recovering her strength. She was planning on finishing you off herself, but I couldn’t stand seeing you walk free a moment longer, so I’m here to finish what you started.”

“Why _ me_? You should be looking for Jinsol, she’s the one who betrayed her,” Jungeun reasons, voice tinged with desperation. She knows it’s a low blow, even with all that Jinsol’s done to her as of late, but she’ll do anything for Jiwoo’s safety. 

The Hanged Woman barks out a laugh. “Looking for her? I’ve been working with her for quite a while now, keeping tabs. She stopped being useful to me recently, though, so I disposed of her. That’s half the debt paid — now it’s your turn.” 

Jungeun doesn’t even have the chance to process the death of her centuries-old friend, because The Hanged Woman moves towards Jiwoo, yanking her head back. Jiwoo winces in discomfort, but doesn’t wake. Jungeun steps forward, but The Hanged Woman doesn’t move her eyes from Jiwoo’s face as she simply says, “one more move and I’ll rip her throat out.” 

Jungeun stops, even though every instinct is yelling at her to _ fucking do something_. But she can’t, unless she wants Jiwoo to get hurt. Although she’s going to get hurt either way, she realizes, and that’s what prompts the tears to start rushing down her face like a dam’s broken. Jiwoo's in danger, real, life-threatening danger, and all she can do is stand and watch.

The Hanged Woman laughs, delighted. “Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve been able to emotionally torture someone,” she says brightly. “Demons just don’t really form attachments, do they? Not you, of course. I’m going to kill her so very slowly, and you’re going to watch every second, and I won’t let you die until I’m sure you can’t possibly feel any more agony.”

“Please don’t hurt her, _ please _,” Jungeun begs, too broken to care about her pride. “I’ll do anything, god, just leave her alone.” 

The Hanged Woman continues like she didn’t even hear Jungeun. “I wonder what to do first. There’s just so much potential with humans, isn’t there? The silliest little things cause them such horrible pain. I can start with plucking out her fingernails, I suppose — maybe her teeth? Hmm, or I could peel her skin off, that’ll make everything after hurt so much worse…” 

Jungeun tunes her voice out as best as she can, shutting her eyes tightly. Since her powers have begun to fade, she's come understand what the Hierophant meant about her having a connection to the Veil. It’s almost like a silvery rope in the back of her mind, and she can feel it tug when she uses her magic. Concentrating now, she grabs that rope as hard as she can, pleading to anybody who will listen: _ help! I need help! _

The lights go down. 

The Hanged Woman pauses, midway through her monologue, and then with a buzz of electricity the lights come back. When they do, Jungeun starts sobbing harder, but with relief this time instead of desperation. The Hierophant is standing square in the middle of the room, her short hair whipping around even though there’s no wind and her eyes glowing with a murderous gaze.

“Who the hell are you?” the Hanged Woman spits, crouching defensively.

“Don’t play stupid,” the Hierophant snaps back. “You know exactly who I am. You used my sister as bait, didn’t you?”

“All’s fair in love and war,” the Hanged Woman retorts. “It’s mighty valiant of you to come save your friend, but I’d advise you leave before you become involved in this too.” 

“Oh, I became involved the moment you dragged my family into your little feud,” the Hierophant replies, and her tone is so dangerous that it makes even the Hanged Woman take a step back subconsciously.

Realizing her unintentional act of submission, she steps back forward, squaring her chest. “Leave, _ now_,” she snarls.

The Hierophant shakes her head. “No, it’s you who’ll be leaving. You’re going to leave, and you’re never going to come near Jungeun or her human for as long as they both live. Do you hear that, you mutt?”

The Hanged Woman gives an ugly leer, her face contorting. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Get out of here, or I’ll kill you first!” 

The Hierophant smiles, although there’s no humor behind it. “No, you won’t, because I happen to know your mother — if you can even call her that, when something like you is born out of pure evil,” she says. 

“Lies! You know nothing about her!” The Hanged Woman screams, breaking into a run at The Hierophant. Jungeun flinches back, but the Hierophant stops her easily with a hand clamping around her throat so hard that there’s an audible crack. The Hanged Woman gasps, her feet kicking aimlessly as the Hierophant lifts her steadily in the air.

“I am not lying,” she hisses. “Yes, I know Vivi. It’s the only reason I haven’t gotten rid of you yet, you little monster. I am Haseul, The Hierophant, The Leader of Worlds, and you will crawl back to the hole where you came from if you know what’s best for you.”

Jungeun can see the moment all the color drains out of The Hanged Woman’s face; clearly, the name means something to her. "_No_!” she wails, clawing uselessly at the Hierophant’s hand around her throat. “You can’t be! It’s not true!”

“If you don’t believe me, go ask Vivi,” the Hierophant sneers, her tongue curling displeasingly around the name. “I would hate to see what she would do to you if she knew you disobeyed me. As I’m sure you know, she and I were rather close, and she owes me several favors.”

She drops the Hanged Woman to the floor, and the girl crumbles into a heap. Her frantic face shoots back up, glancing back and forth between Jungeun and the Hierophant, then back to Jiwoo’s limp body. Jungeun can tell she’s calculating whether the Hierophant is being truthful, and she seems to come to the conclusion that she is, because with an ear-piercing screech she vanishes, leaving only tendrils of purple smoke and a pile of bitter cherry pits in her wake. 

Jungeun wants to run to Jiwoo, wants to collect her in her arms and never let her go, but now that the adrenaline is gone, she can barely hold herself up any longer. She collapses to the floor, bursting into fresh tears.

“Untie her, please,” she sobs, and the Hierophant does so swiftly, breaking away the hard restraints and gently carrying Jiwoo to the bed. She places a hand onto the girl’s forehead, and Jungeun watches her troubled expression grow peaceful as the bump on her head goes down.

“She’ll be alright. I did a little memory cleansing too,” the Hierophant says reassuringly, but Jungeun still gets up, eager to hold her and make sure for herself she’s safe. Her legs wobble embarrassingly, forcing her to lean on the chest-of-drawers, but the Hierophant helps her to the bed herself.

“You should sit. You’re probably in shock,” the Hierophant says, then shakes her head. “Goodness, that’s so human … I’m surprised you were even able to reach out to me at this point.”

“Thank you for coming,” Jungeun whispers, clasping Jiwoo’s hand tightly in her own. She looks like she’s just sleeping now, as if nothing had happened at all. 

“Of course, Jungeun. You saved my sister’s life. That’s not something I’ll easily forget,” the Hierophant says. “And I wasn’t lying, I’ve been meaning to get my hands on that beast for a while now.”

“So you knew The Hanged Woman was real?” Jungeun asks. “And you knew …” She can’t bring herself to say Vivi’s name, worried she’ll summon her even though she knows that’s not how that works. 

The Hierophant sighs, a small furrow appearing between her brows. “It’s very complicated. Vivi and I have known each other since the beginning of time — and that’s not a figure of speech. We grew apart after she went rogue, but she still holds a special place in my heart. I suppose that’s why I let her have fun with this little hybrid of hers, and why I didn’t kill her on the spot today.”

Jungeun freezes. In her flooding relief that The Hanged Woman’s gone, she’s forgotten that that means she’s still out there. “What if she comes back?” she says, voice harsh with tears. “I can’t put Jiwoo in danger like this, god, I really can’t—”

“Vivi would never try to hurt you if it went against my wishes,” the Hierophant says firmly, cutting Jungeun off. “The love I have for her goes both ways.” She quickly realizes what she’s said, and for the first time since Jungeun can remember, the Hierophant — the firm, fearsome leader — blushes.

“I must get back now,” the Hierophant says quickly, standing up from beside Jungeun and smoothing down her robes. Jungeun nods, automatically standing to bow.

“Thank you again, my lady. So much,” she says, beginning to get choked up again just thinking of what would have happened if the Hierophant hadn’t appeared. Thankfully, the Hierophant takes mercy and vanishes shortly, so Jungeun has some privacy to let the tears of relief fall.

She stays by Jiwoo’s side for what feels like hours, holding her hand and smoothing over her face and hair, until finally Jiwoo begins to stir. She yawns loudly, stretching both arms above her head before even opening her eyes, and when she does blink awake she starts slightly at the sight of Jungeun sitting beside her. 

“Oh, you’re back! I must have fallen asleep,” she murmurs, looking confused. Jungeun can’t even say anything, her heart bursting with too much emotion to channel into words, so she settles for leaning down and giving Jiwoo a fiercely passionate kiss.

Jiwoo makes a little sound of surprise but kisses her back till they both need air. “Wow, what was that for?” she asks, laughing a little.

Jungeun forces herself to smile, even though she’s still shaken up. “Nothing,” she says, squeezing Jiwoo’s hand again. “Just had a rough day and I’m really, _ really _happy to see you.”

“Mm, me too babe.” Jiwoo yawns again, stretching out like a cat in that adorable way she does. “Gosh, I feel like I just ran a marathon. Do you mind if we order in for dinner tonight?”

“Not at all,” Jungeun says, sneaking in another kiss before Jiwoo goes to get the phone. Jiwoo hums over all their takeout menus for a long time before finally deciding on pizza, which they eat on the couch in front of trashy reality TV. Jungeun even has a couple slices for herself, having worked up a bit of an appetite with all that emotional turmoil.

It’s never really going to go away, she thinks, that tinge of panic every time she’s reminded of how she’s fading back into mortality. While it’s true she was a human once, that was a long time ago, the memories barely still there. Being a demon is all she’s known since she can remember, and it feels like she’s missing a limb sometimes when she can’t do the things she used to, like teleport or read minds.

Although that last one isn’t quite as important, since Jiwoo has no problem with telling Jungeun everything that crosses her mind. And after they finish dinner, when Jiwoo tackles her onto the bed with a playful kiss and an “I love you”, she remembers that it’s all more than worth it because of her. 

* * *

Okay, so. Hyejoo had prepared her for the increase in her appetite, need for sleep, stuff like that. What she’d conveniently failed to mention was how the sex would change. 

Not in a bad way, really, just … strange. As a demon, Jungeun’s never really _ needed _sex. She likes it, of course — she’s a demon, after all. Hedonism, sin, excessive pleasure, that’s all sort of her thing. But she’s never understood humans and the way they crave it — for example, the way Jiwoo gets when Jungeun takes her almost to the brink and then back again, bucking and pleading and whimpering, tears spilling from her eyes as she begs for more. She doesn’t understand it, but she loves it, the way her dulled physical needs ensure that she’s always the one with the power in bed. It’s always been like that for her, being a giver more than a receiver, and she’s been absolutely fine with that for the last few centuries. 

Now, though, she really _ feels _it when she’s turned on, buzzing like fire right beneath her skin. It’s like every touch is amplified, and she sees honest to god stars when she comes. Which she does. A lot. Jiwoo’s definitely noticed the newfound sensitivity, because she teases Jungeun about it to no end. (Which usually ends up with Jungeun pressing her against the wall and fucking the brattiness out of her.)

Other times, though, Jungeun’s far too lost in the haze of pleasure to even react to the digs. Times like these, when she’s on her side with her leg hitched up around Jiwoo’s waist as Jiwoo’s fingers work skilfully at her clit, kissing her way along her exposed neck and chest at the same time. 

“Sensitive?” she asks rhetorically, when her fingers ghost over Jungeun’s rim and it makes her jerk.

“Mm,” Jungeun sighs, tilting her head back to give Jiwoo better access. She shivers when Jiwoo unexpectedly bites down at her clavicle, and her hips buck up, making the pads of Jiwoo’s fingers push _ just _past the ring of muscle. 

It feels really fucking good. So good that she doesn’t think for a second before breathing, “inside, please.”

Jiwoo blinks, too surprised to make fun. “Really?” 

“Yes, hurry up,” Jungeun says impatiently, and Jiwoo rolls her eyes but obliges her, slipping a finger into her. Jungeun unconsciously clenches around the foreign sensation — it’s not _ completely _new to her, but it’s been a while since she’s done this. Like, when Shakespeare was gaining popularity a while. Still, it's enjoyable. The firm press of Jiwoo's finger against her sensitive inner walls is an entirely different sort of pleasure, one that she can't believe she's been missing out on all this time.

“More,” she pleads, and she feels Jiwoo grin against her skin (_l__ittle shit_) before slipping another finger in. The stretch burns just the littlest bit, but it only makes Jungeun grind her hips down into it, relishing the dull twinge. She’s unable to stop the breathy moans and curses that slip past her lips when Jiwoo takes her nipple into her mouth, the double pleasure making her brain go a little haywire.

“You’re taking it really well,” Jiwoo murmurs, pulling off with a wet pop that makes Jungeun’s ears burn. “Although, really, you’re so wet I’m not surprised.”

“Shut _ up_,” Jungeun gasps, cheeks flushing because she knows it’s true, damn it. Her body’s been responding extra eagerly as of late, and the slick sounds where Jiwoo is pumping her fingers into her seem much louder now that Jiwoo’s mentioned it.

Jiwoo does shut up, surprisingly, choosing to add another finger instead of teasing Jungeun further. Jungeun closes her eyes, panting, and rides Jiwoo’s fingers like it’s her job, helpless at the mercy of how good it feels. If this is what sex is like for humans, maybe she can understand why it’s so easy to have Jiwoo falling apart beneath her. 

The thought makes her thighs squeeze, heat rushing through her, and she blurts, “will you fuck me? With the strap?”

Jiwoo’s hand stops, making Jungeun whine a little. For a split second she’s worried that Jiwoo won’t want that, which wouldn’t really be the end of the world, even though to her hormone-addled brain it absolutely would be. Thankfully, Jiwoo only removes her fingers to get up, kissing Jungeun’s forehead in a way that’s almost too sweet for the moment.

“Of course,” Jiwoo says sweetly, rooting around in the drawer where they keep their toys. Jungeun swallows, taking a moment to try and gather herself. She feels genuinely out of breath, especially when she sees Jiwoo step into the harness and tighten it around her waist, the dildo looking a lot more intimidating when she’s the one about to be on the receiving end of it.

Jiwoo seems to see the hesitation in her eyes, because she sits in her lap and kisses her firmly. Sure enough, all Jungeun’s qualms seem to melt away as soon as Jiwoo licks into her mouth. 

“You can be on top, if you want,” Jiwoo murmurs against her lips. “You’ll have more control that way.”

“How sweet,” Jungeun says, nipping at her bottom lip. “Acting like this is for me when I know you just want me to ride you.”

Jiwoo blushes, but she says, “yeah, I do,” making direct eye contact with Jungeun, and oh. That’s kind of really hot. 

Jungeun flips them over smoothly, pushing Jiwoo so she’s flat on her back. She kisses her for a little longer, letting her greedy hands roam all over her body, even though she’s pretty sure she has every curve and dip memorized at this point. Then, trying to steady her heart rate, she sits back on her knees and sits down on the strap-on. 

Or at least, tries to. She doesn’t quite get it in on the first try — it’s slipping and sliding around too much. “God, you’re soaked for me,” Jiwoo supplies, which causes an almost-painful twinge of arousal in Jungeun’s stomach. The curses she mutters at her under her breath stop completely once she finally slides it in, her walls clenching tightly around it as she sinks down fluidly in one go.

“_Oh_,” she breathes once she’s fully seated, tossing her head back. It’s much bigger than Jiwoo’s fingers, deeper too, but she’ll be damned if it doesn’t feel fucking incredible. Now she knows what Jiwoo’s talking about when she pants _ ah, Jungeun, so full _— it’s a feeling she could definitely get used to. Her body seems to agree, her hips automatically starting to grind down on it even though she hasn’t fully adjusted to the intrusion yet.

When she blinks open her eyes, which have slid closed in sheer pleasure, she sees Jiwoo staring back at her in complete awe. Her hands are flitting around like they don’t know where to go, skimming over Jungeun’s waist and ass and thighs, and she bites her lip when Jungeun hesitantly lifts her hips and drops them down.

“You look so good,” she says, barely audible, and it’s all the encouragement Jungeun needs to start _ really _ riding her, rolling her hips fast and filthy as she fucks down onto her. The soft sounds of their moans mingle together, and Jiwoo grabs firmly onto her hips, thrusting up into her at the same time that she angles down, and holy _ fuck _that hits spots that she didn’t even know she had.

“Jiwoo,” she whimpers, overwhelmed. She can already feel that tight coil starting to form in her lower stomach, which should be embarrassing, but Jiwoo just urges her on.

“I know, baby. It feels good, doesn’t it?” Jiwoo breathes, her eyes completely fixated on Jungeun. “You look incredible, fuck. Want you to come just like this, fucking yourself on me. You want that?”

“Yes,” Jungeun groans, hips stuttering at her words. “Wanna come, Jiwoo, fuck.”

“So ride me like you mean it,” Jiwoo says, her voice tight, and Jungeun’s never been one to turn down a challenge. She steadies her hands on Jiwoo’s stomach and starts fucking herself onto the strap with a vengeance, letting out soft little _ ah-ah-ah_s every time it slides home, hard and deep and fucking perfect.

She comes with Jiwoo’s name pouring out of her mouth like a prayer, harder than she thinks she’s ever come, and Jiwoo hasn’t even touched her, for fuck’s sake. Although she can already feel her thighs beginning to get sore, she keeps riding until she simply can’t anymore, and she barely has the strength left to pull herself off of the strap before letting herself collapse onto Jiwoo’s chest, kissing her hungrily. 

Jiwoo melts into the kiss, her hands cupping Jungeun’s ass. “Jungeun, that was so hot, _ you’re _so hot, god,” she whimpers, and Jungeun can tell from her voice that she’s impossibly turned on as well. She doesn’t even bother taking the strap off, just slides her hand beneath the harness to cup Jiwoo, wet and dripping through the fabric. Although she feels bone-tired after the intensity of her orgasm, she’s still skilled enough with her fingers to have Jiwoo coming in minutes, squirming and whining and gripping Jungeun’s hips tight enough to leave bruises.

Between the two of them, they manage to undo all the buckles and throw the strap on back into the open drawer, and Jungeun wastes no time before pulling Jiwoo into a tight embrace. She thinks there’s nothing better than this: lying tangled together, lazy and sated, content to just hold and kiss each other softly with none of the urgency from before.

Jungeun’s just starting to drift off when she hears a quiet chuckle from where Jiwoo’s face is tucked into her neck.

“What’s funny?” she mumbles, blinking.

“Nothing, just … when we first met, I didn’t even want to admit I was gay, and I just fucked you with a strap-on,” she giggles, and Jungeun has to admit, it’s funny. They both dissolve into laughter, the smiles coming easy and goofy to their faces in the post-coital glow. 

“And when we first met, I was a demon,” Jungeun counters. “Now I’m … less of one, I suppose.”

“It’s crazy how things change, isn’t it?” Jiwoo says, her voice tinged with something gentle. It makes Jungeun’s heart skip a beat, and she interlocks their fingers, kissing them. 

“It is,” she agrees.

Avoiding meeting her eyes, Jiwoo says in a very small voice, “I’m still afraid, sometimes. That I’ll wake up and you won’t be here anymore.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Jungeun cups Jiwoo’s face and tilts her chin up so that she’s locked in her firm gaze. “That’s not going to happen, alright? I’m not leaving you again, I swear it. Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

Jiwoo’s lower lip wobbles. “But what if you wake up one day and you’re bored of this? And you wanna go back to your world?”

Jungeun shakes her head. “Not possible. My entire world is riiiight … here.” She places a kiss on the tip of Jiwoo’s nose, and the silly gesture makes her laugh like she knew it would.

Jiwoo falls asleep first; Jungeun feels her breathing steady and makes sure not to disturb her when she gets up to turn out the lights. Feeling oddly sentimental, she takes a walk around the house — their house now, little tokens of their relationship littered around everywhere: matching mugs in the sink, Jungeun's fuzzy slippers by the couch. It really is unbelievable to think how much things have changed since she met Jiwoo, but it’s undoubtedly for the better. She’s hopelessly in love with Jiwoo, and now she gets to spend every day for the rest of their lives with her. As silly as it sounds, Jiwoo really is her whole world now; there’s nothing and no one that could make her leave 

When she crawls back into their bed, pressing a kiss to Jiwoo’s forehead, an image pops into her mind unbidden: Hyejoo and her wife, laughing and kissing in the kitchen window. She feels excited like a little kid when she thinks about how that’s going to be her and Jiwoo one day. Will they have children? Pets? Will they travel the world, or at least move out of their little apartment? For the first time in her life, she’s unsure about what the future has in store for her, but the one thing she knows without a doubt that it’s going to be heaven as long as it’s with Jiwoo.

(Except for the fact that Jiwoo snores. Really loudly. They’ll figure it out, though — they have all the time in the world.)

**Author's Note:**

> tysm to everyone whos read this lil series... pls drop a comment or tweet if u enjoyed it <33333
> 
> [twt](http://twitter.com/bluejinsol) / [cc](http://curiouscat.me/oddeyejinsol)


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